Central City Chorus, directed by Bryan Zaros, presents its second concert of the 2024-2025 season on March 9: "Northern Lights," a lush musical soundscape inspired by ancient traditions, featuring composers Alfvén, Chesnokov, Ešenvalds, Gjeilo, Mäntyjärvi, Tsupryk and Rachmaninov.

The ethereal beauty of the Northern Lights has inspired composers across centuries. This program will transport audiences to the breathtaking musical landscapes of Scandinavia and beyond, showcasing a diverse range of composers representing Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine, Russia and the United States.

In particular, we wanted to take this opportunity to feature a work by Ukrainian female composer Natalia Tsupryk that resonates across the political and cultural landscape of our current events. Released on August 19, 2022, A Quiet Night intertwines the poetry of renowned Ukrainian writer Serhiy Zhadan with excerpts from President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech on May 9, 2022 (the commemorative Day of Victory over Nazism in World War II). Natalia's new piece is a musical expression of solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they continue to suffer at the hands of Vladimir Putin. This poignant Ukrainian carol opens with President Zelensky's words "our land was sown with bullets and shells," chanted in Ukrainian and English in an aleatoric fashion. The chanting continues like a fervent prayer as the choir sings Serhiy Zhadan's words, "it is us." The harmonies are tender yet strong, reflecting both solace and quiet resilience.

In addition to the highly emotional and impactful reverberations of A Quiet Night, common themes found in the music of Northern Lights include a love of nature, feelings of longing and melancholy, the contrast between light and dark, the extremes of the northern climate, and lively folk traditions. Through this program, we invite you to immerse yourself in a choral journey of mystery, contemplation and brilliance. From the celestial shimmer of the aurora borealis to the quiet stillness of the night to the reawakening of summer, our upcoming winter concert will be a musical experience that captures the essence of wonder and transcendence.

The concert will be held at St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church on West 87th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday, March 9 at 4:00 PM. For more information, visit www.centralcitychorus.org/.